API

[Phyks]

Expose a true API to be used to control Freeder instance remotely ?

1. What do you think about it ? Do we want it ?
2. Using a true API could help refactor the code, and we should decide it right now, before implementing advanced features. We could build the template as a pure webapp, querying the API (à la Angular.JS) and avoid having PHP code doing some output, JS code doing some other output and so on.

In particular, this has to be discussed before implementing the solutions to issues #86, issues related to offline mode #66, to modal boxes #73, #36 and some other such as continuous loading (infinite scroll).

For instance, I particularly dislike the actual refresh page which is quite a hacky piece of sh*t for the output. Should be way better with a JS script doing an AJAX call and polling IMO.

[eliemichel]

I really think that having a full JS webapp + an API would be a good idea.
But it would require a large bunch of refactoring too…

[tmos]

I reaaaaaly love the full JS app idea, and, what a coincidence, I love angular too :D
It could be a nice way to reboost the project, and open it wider (allowing to create more than one interface for freeder :cli, native app, brainfuck, etc.).

For me, this is a full 👍 , and I'm not affraid from the refactor part : this is, I think, firstly a fun/cuting edge project, so we have to enjoy this liberty :)

Note that I'm totaly overbooked at this time, so I'll not be able to help you for feew weeks… :(

[Phyks]

Ok, no problem. Let's do it then !

However, I propose to do it in a test-driven way, writing tests and expected results first. Here is a pad to write necessary features : http://tools.exppad.com/pad/p/freederAPI

[Niols]

Test-driven ? You mean, "making Niols a slave" ?

[Phyks]

Nope, these ones are easy to write =P

"making Niols a slave" is for the tests for the actual functions =)

[tmos]

Angular JS is a test-driven lib :)
You can see a bunch of links on my shaarli : http://hub.tomcanac.com/liens/?searchtags=angularjs

[eliemichel]

Yeah, I saw that lot of tutorials about AngularJS include testing questions.

On 23/10/2014 18:46, Tom.C. wrote:

Angular JS is a test-driven lib :)
You can see a bunch of links on my shaarli :
http://hub.tomcanac.com/liens/?searchtags=angularjs

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[tmos]

This is a really powerfull and modern library, making JS writing a pleasure (yep, this is possible). The learning curve is pretty weird, with a lot of waves, but I think it is a good bet.

[Phyks]

Ok. I've never played with Angular but I do really want to, so I think Freeder is a perfect use case.

I propose :

1. We refactor the backend code, just to sanitize everything and include unit tests. || In parallel, we write base ideas of what the API should look like.
2. We dev this test-driven =)

[tmos]

Yep, the good part is that will "force" to have a nice API documentation, and will separate fully the interface from the backend :)

[Phyks]

👍

[marienfressinaud]

Great idea :) I wanted to do the same for FreshRSS but it's too late now ^^

It may be interesting to use an existing API (TTRSS, Google Reader, Owncloud News?) to be compatible with other apps? At least, it can be a good start!

[tmos]

Yep, trying to keep compatibility with other apps may be a good idea.

This website seems a nice start for building a standard api : http://www.restapitutorial.com/

[Phyks]

@marienfressinaud 👍

I will try to do a little summary of the existing APIs for this kind of project (TTRS, Google Reader and Owncloud News), to have a better overview of the common basis we can use.

EDIT : Comment was in French :/

[eliemichel]

I added a RFF draft to the wiki: REST API
It is highly unfinished.

@Phyks Do you have information (or links) about other APIs?

[Phyks]

@eliemichel nope, I did not have much time to have a look at TTRS, GR, or Owncloud for now =(

[Phyks]

Working on it, draft here: https://gist.github.com/Phyks/c143f719737e5557c4c2